Patient interface and headgear

Abstract

Patient interface components and/or associated head gear and adjustment systems improve sealing and/or patient comfort and/or ease of use. The interface comprising an inflating or ballooning seal. The headgear assembly can be connected to the interface with an elastic component and an inelastic component. The elastic component enabling a course fitting of the interface to the patient and the inelastic component enabling a final fitting of the interface to the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An interface comprising:
 a mask; 
 a headgear; 
 a connection between said mask and said headgear comprising an elastic elongate element and a substantially inelastic elongate element, the connection between said mask and said headgear comprising a length measured from the mask to the headgear, the elastic elongate element comprising a passage that receives at least a portion of the substantially inelastic elongate element; and 
 an adjustment mechanism operable to adjust a length of the substantially inelastic elongate element to adjust the length of the connection, 
 wherein a length of the elastic elongate element of the connection is not adjustable other than by stretching of a material such that the length of the elastic elongate element of the connection is not adjustable by the adjustment mechanism, 
 wherein the length of the substantially inelastic elongate element forms an entirety of the length of the connection. 
 
     
     
       2. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the mask has a left side and a right side, and the headgear has a left side and a right side, said connection includes a first connection between the left side of the mask and the left side of the headgear and a second connection between the right side of the mask and the right side of the headgear, the first connection comprising the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element, the second connection comprising a second elastic elongate element and a second substantially inelastic elongate element, the second elastic elongate element comprising a second passage that receives at least a portion of the second substantially inelastic elongate element. 
     
     
       3. The interface of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is operable to affect or adjust at least part of the length of the substantially inelastic elongate element of the first connection, and further comprising a second adjustment mechanism operable to affect or adjust at least part of a length of the second substantially inelastic elongate element of the second connection. 
     
     
       4. The interface of  claim 3 , wherein said interface further comprises:
 a third connection between the left side of the mask and the left side of the headgear, and a fourth connection between the right side of the mask and the right side of the headgear, 
 the third connection comprising a third elastic elongate element and a third substantially inelastic elongate element, the third elastic elongate element comprising a third passage that receives at least a portion of the third substantially inelastic elongate element, and 
 Pthe fourth connection comprising a fourth elastic elongate element and a fourth substantially inelastic elongate element, the fourth elastic elongate element comprising a fourth passage that receives at least a portion of the fourth substantially inelastic elongate element. 
 
     
     
       5. The interface of  claim 4 , further comprising a third adjustment mechanism operable to affect or adjust at least part of a length of the third substantially inelastic elongate element of the third connection, and a fourth adjustment mechanism operable to affect or adjust at least part of a length of the fourth substantially inelastic elongate element of the fourth connection. 
     
     
       6. The interface of  claim 5 , wherein the third adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the length of the third substantially inelastic elongate element of the third connection, the fourth adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the length of the fourth substantially inelastic elongate element of the fourth connection. 
     
     
       7. The interface of  claim 5 , wherein the adjustment mechanism, the second adjustment mechanism, the third adjustment mechanism, and the fourth adjustment mechanism are each located on the mask. 
     
     
       8. The interface of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second connections connect between an upper portion of the mask and an upper portion of the headgear, and the third and fourth connections connect between a lower portion of the mask and a lower portion of the headgear. 
     
     
       9. The interface of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second connections are configured to pass around a side of a user's head and are configured to be located above a user's ear, and the third and fourth connections are configured to pass around the side of the user's head and are configured to be located below a user's ear. 
     
     
       10. The interface of  claim 4 , wherein the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the third connection are attached to the mask at a first substantially coinciding attachment location, and the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the fourth connection are attached to the mask at a second substantially coinciding attachment location. 
     
     
       11. The interface of  claim 4 , wherein the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the third connection are attached to the headgear at a first substantially coinciding attachment location, and the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the fourth connection are attached to the headgear at a second substantially coinciding attachment location. 
     
     
       12. The interface of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the length of the substantially inelastic elongate element of the first connection, the second adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust the length of the second substantially inelastic element of the second connection. 
     
     
       13. The interface of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism are each one of:
 a) a friction clasp; 
 b) a ladder lock; 
 c) a buckle; 
 d) a ratchet; 
 e) a clamp; 
 f) a cam cleat; and 
 g) post and hole. 
 
     
     
       14. The interface of  claim 2 , wherein the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the first connection are attached to the mask at a first substantially coinciding attachment location, and the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the second connection are attached to the mask at a second substantially coinciding attachment location. 
     
     
       15. The interface of  claim 2 , wherein the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the first connection are attached to the headgear at a first substantially coinciding attachment location, and the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element of the second connection are attached to the headgear at a second substantially coinciding attachment location. 
     
     
       16. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the mask and the headgear has a first adjustable mode wherein the length of the connection can be adjusted and a second fixed mode wherein the length of the connection cannot be substantially increased. 
     
     
       17. The interface of  claim 16 , wherein said connection comprises a right side connection and a left side connection, and wherein a length of the right side connection and the left side connection can each be adjusted in the first adjustable mode, and a length of the right side connection and the left side connection cannot be substantially increased in the second fixed mode. 
     
     
       18. The interface of  claim 16 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is of a locking type having at least two modes, wherein
 a. in a first locking mode the length of said substantially inelastic elongate element cannot be lengthened, and 
 b. in a second un-locking mode the length of said substantially inelastic elongate element can be lengthened. 
 
     
     
       19. The interface of  claim 18 , wherein the elastic elongate element provides a retention force to hold the mask on a wearers face in said first locking mode. 
     
     
       20. The interface of  claim 18 , wherein the elastic elongate element provides a retention force to hold the mask on a wearers face in said second un-locking mode. 
     
     
       21. The interface of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of an operative length of said substantially inelastic elongate element can be shortened when said adjustment mechanism is in said first locking mode. 
     
     
       22. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the headgear is less extensible than the elastic elongate element of the connection. 
     
     
       23. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the headgear is less extensible than the connection. 
     
     
       24. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the elastic elongate element of the connection can be stretched to between approximately 1.5 times and 3 times its un-stretched length. 
     
     
       25. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the elastic elongate element of the connection can be stretched to approximately double its un-stretched length. 
     
     
       26. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein a retention force provided by the elastic elongate element of the connection is sufficient to retain the mask on a user's face during fitting. 
     
     
       27. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein a retention force provided by the elastic elongate element of the connection is sufficient to assist sealing of the mask during use. 
     
     
       28. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the mask is one of:
 a) a nasal mask; 
 b) an oral mask; 
 c) an oral nasal mask; 
 d) nasal pillows; 
 e) oral mask including nasal prongs; and 
 f) nasal cannula. 
 
     
     
       29. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic elongate element and the substantially inelastic elongate element are integrated one within the other. 
     
     
       30. The interface of  claim 29 , wherein the passage runs within a substantial length of the elastic elongate element. 
     
     
       31. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially inelastic elongate element resists compressive forces along the length of the substantially inelastic elongate element. 
     
     
       32. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially inelastic elongate element moves axially along the passage of the elastic elongate element. 
     
     
       33. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic elongate element comprises a first end located at a point where the elastic elongate element is connected to the mask, wherein the elastic elongate element comprises a second end located at a point where the elastic elongate element is connected to the headgear, wherein the first end is fixed to the mask and the second end is fixed to the headgear, such that the first end and the second end are each not adjustable by the adjustment mechanism. 
     
     
       34. The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic elongate element is configured to stretch more than the substantially inelastic elongate element along an entirety of the length of the connection.